This tiny device could cure snoring once and for all

Airing
A quarter of all adults snore regularly when they sleep. That can be disruptive and frustrating for those who have to listen to it during the night — but it can also be dangerous.

The sound happens when airflow gets obstructed at the back of the mouth and nose. That can disturb a snorer's sleep cycle, and in more extreme cases also be a symptom of sleep apnea, a disorder in which a person's upper airway collapses during sleep, causing them to pause ten seconds or more between breaths.

The current solution to sleep apnea is a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device, a breathing apparatus that keeps a steady stream of air flowing into a patient's breathing tubes to keep them from collapsing. The device requires the user to strap on a plastic mask before going to bed, however, which can be uncomfortable and unsightly.

But a new invention called the Airing aims to combat sleep apnea — and snoring in general — by using air pressure to keep breathing tubes open in a much less obtrusive way.

Like other sleep apnea devices, the Airing sends air into a wearer’s breathing tubes to keep them from collapsing. That can also eliminate snoring because it ensures airflow doesn't get obstructed.

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To do that, the Airing uses hundreds of tiny micro-blower plates, which open and close because of electrostatic force. When the plates have opposite charges, they attract, squeezing together like bellows. Each little pump does that thousands of times per second to create airflow.

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The air comes through two nose buds, which are made of molded silicon rubber. The buds form a seal inside the nose to maintain the air pressure and ensure that the device stays in place while the wearer sleeps.

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The Airing is powered by zinc-air batteries, which are powerful and light — the device weighs less than an ounce and can run for eight hours. But the batteries are not rechargeable, so each Airing can only be used once.

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The Airing isn't commercially available yet. But the product has already raised more than $1,418,000 on Indiegogo.

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Each Airing is estimated to retail for $3, which isn’t cheap for a disposable device. But if it gets approved by the FDA as a variation of CPAP technology, it could be covered by insurance.

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According to the Airing blog, inventor Stephen Marsh plans to have a working prototype ready in the next few months. Because different people require different pressure levels, the Airing will eventually be available in a range of strengths.

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The Airing could be a much more comfortable solution than traditional CPAP machines— and put an end to snoring altogether.